Williams, Barwin key building blocks in revamped defense

Friday

PHILADELPHIA — On his honeymoon, Cary Williams didn’t jet to an exotic locale. He spent time supervising the building of his new home and having some dental work done.

“I had to pick sconces out,” he said of one of his new-home chores.

Oh, and the Eagles’ cornerback missed four of the team’s first six OTAs. Fresh off a honeymoon that wasn’t the conventional sit-on-a-beach or take-a-cruise type, Williams was back at Eagles headquarters Monday for the final week of OTAs before next week’s voluntary minicamp begins.

He is an important piece to a secondary that is being completely retooled after being such a disaster last year. In fact, the entire defense was eligible for disaster relief, and the Eagles applied for that, not only bringing in Williams as one of their big offseason free-agent acquisitions, but linebacker Connor Barwin, too.

Barwin got a six-year deal, Williams three. They, along with safety Kenny Phillips, were signed on the same day, March 14.

“He’s done a great job of playing catch-up,” said head coach Chip Kelly about Williams and the time he missed. “I couldn’t tell you exactly where he is, but he did miss a good amount of insertion in phase 2, and that first week of OTAs, but he’s a sharp kid. Really gets football really, really quickly.”

Where Williams was before this year was with the Baltimore Ravens, who only won last year’s Super Bowl. He grew up in a defense with Hall of Fame veterans Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, so his mere presence should help this secondary out tremendously.

Williams certainly makes his presence felt. He plays with an edge, one that emerged when he and Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson got into a pushing match when the two teams met last year in the second week of the season. Also, Williams got into a scrum during the Super Bowl that some felt should have led to his ejection.

“I think that will come about more when it gets to be more competitive in nature,” said defensive backs coach John Lovett about Williams’ feisty nature. “When we’re out here now, it’s hands off receivers, if it’s close, let them go. When we come back in the fall and contact is allowed, that’s when tempers start to flare and competitive juices start to flow a little bit.

“I don’t think a leopard is going to change its spots, so to speak, so I would assume something along those lines will come about. But he’s been a very positive influence here, he’s a good learner, and he has a very good football IQ. I think he’ll be a positive addition back there.”

This defense could use a player with a sharp edge. It could also use one who is capable of communicating. That was an issue last year, according to then-defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and why so often opposing team’s receivers, tight ends and running backs roamed freely on their pass patterns.

“Every team has to do better in communicating,” said Williams. “I feel communicating is an essential component to being a successful defense. It’s the difference between being a top 10 defense and being top 25 defense.”

Williams played on plenty of those top 10 defenses in Baltimore. So did Barwin when he was in Houston. He is enjoying, so far, the way defensive coordinator Billy Davis is constructing this defense.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” said Barwin, “which is good. It keeps an offense on its toes. They don’t know where I’m going. I’ll be going in and doing different things each time.”

Barwin’s role, as he outlined, could change from week to week or depending on who the Eagles are playing.

“I’’ll be rushing, I’ll be dropping, I’ll be playing with a hand down, I’ll be playing with my hands up,” he said. “I’ll be doing a little bit of everything.”

Referring to what the Eagles’ base defense will primarily look like, Barwin added: “We’ll be 3-down, 4-down, 5-down. That gives a lot of guys potential to make plays, to confuse the offense. That was exciting for me in Houston when I first did it and that’s why I think everyone is excited here because there’s the potential for a lot of different guys to make plays.”

Someone hopeful of making plays in the revamped secondary will be rookie safety Earl Wolff, who is adjusting well to the Eagles’ schemes. Wolff was drafted in the fifth round.

“Right now we’re very happy with Earl Wolff,” said Lovett. “We’re really excited about him because he does have a lot of athletic ability. He can flip his hips and run with guys. He has movement skills to stay in space. I think he has some weaknesses as far as playing in space and being a center fielder because he didn’t do a lot of that where he was. But he’s only been here a short time and he’s starting to get an idea of it.”

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